Paragonimiasis is a parasitic disease caused by the lung fluke, Paragonimus spp. Lung flukes may be found in various organs, such as the brain, peritoneum, subcutaneous tissues, and retroperitoneum, other than the lungs. Abdominal paragonimiasis raises a considerable diagnostic challenge to clinicians, because it is uncommon and may be confused with other abdominopelvic inflammatory diseases, particularly peritoneal tuberculosis, and peritoneal carcinomatosis. Also, subcutaneous paragonimiasis does not easily bring up clinical suspicion, due to its rarity. We herein report 2 cases of abdominal paragonimiasis and 1 case of subcutaneous paragonimiasis in Korea.
Abdominal Cavity/*parasitology ; Animals ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Paragonimiasis/parasitology/*pathology/radiography ; Paragonimus/cytology/*isolation & purification ; Republic of Korea ; Subcutaneous Tissue/*parasitology

Hydatid disease (HD) is an endemic illness in many countries, and it poses an important public health problem that's influenced by peoples' socioeconomic status and migration that spreads this disease. Although rare, it may occur in any organ or tissue. The most common site is the liver (59-75%), followed in frequency by lung (27%), kidney (3%), bone (1-4%) and brain (1-2%). Other sites such as the heart, spleen, pancreas and muscles are very rarely affected. Unusual sites for this disease can cause diagnostic problems. This pictorial essay illustrates various radiological findings of HD in the liver, spleen, kidney, pancreas, peritoneal cavity, omentum, adrenal, ovary, lung, mediastinum and retroperitoneum. Familiarity with the imaging findings of HD may be helpful in making an accurate diagnosis and preventing potential complications.
Abdominal Cavity/parasitology/radiography ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Contrast Media/administration & dosage ; Digestive System/pathology/radiography/ultrasonography ; Digestive System Diseases/diagnosis/parasitology ; Echinococcosis/*diagnosis/parasitology/*radiography ; Endocrine Glands/parasitology/radiography ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney/parasitology/pathology ; Liver/parasitology/radiography ; Lung/parasitology/radiography ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods ; Male ; Mediastinum/parasitology/radiography ; Middle Aged ; Pancreas/parasitology/radiography ; Radiographic Image Enhancement/methods ; Spleen/parasitology/radiography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods